ORLANDO, Fla. — In the wake of the deadly shootings in Orlando last week, Governor Ron DeSantis' office sent a letter to the Orange-Osceola County state attorney's office asking for information on the criminal history of the alleged shooter.
"The shocking nature of these horrific acts is difficult to process, but even more galling is the fact that the man who was promptly arrested for these crimes, Mr. Keith Melvin Moses (aka Keith Moses), date of birth June 11, 2003, has been allowed to remain on the streets after multiple arrests, including one your office has refused to prosecute," the governor's general counsel wrote in the letter to State Attorney Monique Worrell.
Governor DeSantis' office pointed to the arrest of Moses in November 2021 for possession of fewer than 20 grams of cannabis as problematic. The governor's office said Moses was on juvenile felony probation at the time of his arrest and had multiple other charges in his background.
The governor's office then went a step further to imply that State Attorney Worrell's office's actions allowed the murder of a 9-year-old girl and a television news reporter to happen.
The letter continued, "The failure of your office to hold this individual accountable for his actions - despite his extensive criminal history and gang affiliation - may have permitted this dangerous individual to remain on the street."
Read the full letter to Worrell below:
DeSantis letter to Orlando-... by ABC Action News
Worrell released a statement Wednesday addressing the governor's claims, saying in part:
"There have been a number of misconceptions, some of which are included in the letter we received yesterday, floated by other elected officials in the aftermath of this tragedy that we are continually working to correct," Worrell's office said. "The suggestions and accusations that my office’s “policies” promote crime are empty political statements unsupported by actual facts."
3.1.23 - State Attorney Mon... by ABC Action News
Worrell has until March 14 to proved the requested documents to the governor's office.
